Natalia Skachkova, Commercial Director of O1 Standard Management Company, spoke at the on-line conference “Sustainable management of facilities in a post-pandemic environment”, organized by Russia’s Green Office Club and Laboratory.
Natalia described how O1 Standard uses green guidelines to manage and operate office real estate and why the demand for environmentally efficient buildings and high-quality management will increase post-COVID-19.
Environmental performance standards in office real estate are not limited to engineering technologies that reduce natural resource consumption. They also depend on skilful property management, which includes regular prophylaxis and disinfection of main engineering systems. Studies show that buildings where environmental standards are observed ensure more comfortable and (importantly today) more healthy working conditions. The COVID-19 experience has focused attention of building tenants on issues of illness prevention, particularly by good maintenance of air exchange systems.
Today, as companies prepare strategies for the safe return of employees to offices, the challenge for management companies is to ensure a comfortable and safe working environment. O1 Standard has introduced mandatory thermometry procedures for all employees and visitors to its business centres, installed sanitizers throughout buildings, laid out markings to maintain social distancing, and required the wearing of masks. Daily disinfections are carried out and intensive-use surfaces (door handles, lift buttons, turnstiles, etc.) are disinfected twice per hour. Additional measures are being prepared to ensure safe infrastructure management, including a procedure for contactless courier deliveries.